IT’S BEEN NEARLY one year since the beheading of a stag in parklands attached to Newbridge House and Gardens in Donabate, Co Dublin, caused outcry and condemnation.

The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) and An Garda Síochána launched a joint investigation into the killing of the Irish red stag.

The stag had been living in a herd on Fingal County Council-managed parklands attached to the largely family-centred attraction Newbridge House for over 20 years.

Irish red deer – Ireland’s largest native deer species and wild land mammal – are a protected species under The Wildlife Act 1976. There are strict regulations around the culling of the animal.

However, no arrests or charges have yet been made in relation to the incident.

A spokesperson for An Garda Síochána told The Journal they are continuing investigations, and appealed for anyone with information about the incident to come forward.

The NPWS said: “As this investigation is ongoing, NPWS cannot provide any further comment.”

A spokesperson for the Irish Deer Commission has said that cases like this show the difficulty Ireland has enforcing wildlife crime laws, and highlight the need for a dedicated Wildlife Crime Unit.

A spokesman for Fingal County Council once again called for anyone with information to contact gardaí.

“The loss of this magnificent animal was felt by many people who value Newbridge House and Demesne as a special place for wildlife, education, recreation and heritage,” the spokesperson added.

“While time has passed, the impact of this appalling incident has certainly not been forgotten.”

In late 2020, then Heritage Minister Malcolm Noonan announced plans to establish a dedicated Wildlife Crime Unit within the NPWS.

The Journal Investigates team previously recovered records relating to the potential unit under the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act – a law which gives the public a legal right to access records held by government bodies and public authorities.

The team found that the NPWS Wildlife Crime Working Group in April 2021 described law enforcement as an “extremely challenging” part of the daily work carried out by NPWS field staff.

But the promised standalone unit never materialised in the form originally announced. Instead, responsibility for wildlife crime was ultimately placed within a broader Wildlife Enforcement and Nature Protection Directorate.

‘Quite poor’

Damien Hannigan, spokesperson for the Irish Deer Commission, an organisation which promotes efforts in the management and conservation of wild deer, told The Journal that, at a national level, enforcement of wildlife crime is “quite poor”.

Just 30 files were referred to the Chief State Solicitors Office for prosecution by NPWS in 2024, according to Minister for Heritage James Browne’s answer to a parliamentary question.

Browne said at the time that, by May 2025, just 16 cases had been submitted for consideration in the year.

Meanwhile, data obtained by Sinn Féin MEP Lynn Boylan under FOI found that of the 30 referrals made in 2024, just eight resulted in a conviction and fine.

A further eight resulted in probation and donation, which allows the defendant to avoid a criminal conviction by making a financial contribution to a charity.

An investigation by The Journal Investigates team previously found that of 346 wildlife-crime prosecutions brought between 2010 and 2023, 67% did not result in a criminal conviction.

Of the 113 prosecutions recorded as convictions, just four resulted in suspended prison terms. However, not one offender was handed an immediate prison term during the period.

Hannigan believes the low enforcement of wildlife crime is caused by a lack of follow-ups and the absence of a dedicated wildlife crime unit.

He said that for members of the Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime in Ireland, including the Irish Deer Commission, enforcement is a “constant issue” and a source of criticism and frustration in conservation circles.

“It’s a constant issue that we would face in terms of getting a response, or getting resources to deal with these types of crimes,” he said.

“Wildlife crime in Ireland comes in many forms. It’s some of the obvious ones like illegal killing of deer. It’s illegal hare coursing. Its habitat destruction. Its poisoning of reptiles. It’s trade in endangered species. And at the European level, it’s huge,” he said.

He said that the commission “regularly receives reports” of suspected violence against wildlife. He believes crimes against deer have worsened in recent years due to the spread of disinformation about the animals.

However, Hannigan said that in his 30 years of involvement with deer, he never came across a killing as extreme as the case of the Donabate stag beheading.

Hannigan, who said the attack is often raised with him due to “how shocking” it was, previously said he believes the stag was likely beheaded, so the animal’s antlers could be used as a “sick trophy”.

A garda spokesperson is appealing for anyone who was travelling near Newbridge Demesne between 12am and 2.30am on Thursday 27 November 2025, and who may have dash-cam footage, to contact the investigation team.

They said: “Anyone who observed any activity in the area of the Newbridge Demesne boundary at the time and/or anyone with information is asked to contact Swords Garda Station 01 6664700, the Garda Confidential line 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station.”

With additional reporting from Patricia Devlin.